Means for finishing bends



Nov. 12, 1940. J. A. TAYLOR 2,221,417

MEANS FOR FINISHING BENDS Filed NOV. 18, 1938 2 sheets sheet 1 I INVENTOR. dd 2773613 Hall T ZOP find/1012M ATTORNEY 3 Nov. 12,1940. J. H, TAYLQP I 2,221,417

MEANS FOR FINISHING BENDS Filed Nov. 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. VG/W65 17a [6 Tgzylof ATTORNEYS.

' I ished Patented Nov.'l2, 1940 umrso STATESQ PATIENT OFFICE This invention relates to pipe fittings, and has to do with means for finishing the end portions of pipe bends.

It is common practice to form pipe bends from ii straight wrought metal tubular blanks. Such.

bends are curved throughout their length and, it

frequently happens, are of greater wall thickness at the inner or short side of the bend than at the outer side thereof, due to upsetting of the metal during the operation of forming the bend, it also frequently happening that the inner wall of the end portion of the bend is flared inwardly. 'My

invention is directed to means whereby-the end portions of a pipe bend may be straightened so as'to be tangent to the body portion of the bend, 7

this straightening of the end portion also serving to form the latter accurately to desired uniform diameter and to redistribute the metal of the end portion of the bend, where necessary, in

a manner to assure that suchend portion is of uniform wall thickness, this finishing of the end portion of the bendbeing accomplished with ex= pedition and facility. More specifically, I provide means whereby the end portions of the bend are finished by a rolling operation, efiective'for accurately forming the end of thebend and for displacing and redistributing the metal thereof, to

assure uniform wall thickness. Furtherobjects and advantages of my invention will appear from in the detail descript on.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in'elevation, showing iagrammatically apparatus embodying my invention, this view illustrating the first step in the use of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the second step in the use of the appara- 'tus;"'

, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating 40. the -third step in the use of the apparatus;

" for rotating the-finishing rollers.

In its broader aspects, my invention is applicable to any type of pipe bends or analogous articles, the end portions. of which are to befin:

portion of the bend. I have shown, by way of example, and largely diagrammatically, a preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention, for use in finishing the end portionsof a 90 N elbow or bend.

straight and tangent to the curved body In Figure 1 Ihavejllustrated a 90 elbow a in unfinished condition, the end portions of this elbow being curved, with the body portion thereof, about a common center b. It will be noted that the inner side wall of the bend is of greater thickness than the outer side wall thereof, due to upsetting of metal in forming of the bend from the straight tubular blank, and the inner side of each end portion of the bend is flared slightly so that it is not strictly concentric with the center b. 10 These conditions are commonly encountered in bends formed from straight gwrought metal tubular blanks. In order that the bend may be in satisfactory condition for use, the end portions thereof, disposed outward beyond the planes in- 18 dicated by the lines b-c and bd, defining between them the 90 angle through which the body -of the bend should be curved, should be straight, tangent to the curved body of the'bend I and of uniform wall thickness. 20

Referring to Figure 1, the bend a is placed with the lower or outer portion of the body of the bend seating in a corresponding recess in the upper face of a saddle 6 suitably secured, as by bolting,

to abuse I. The lower end of bend a contacts a 25 stop 8 suitably positioned and mounted upon base I. With the bend disposed in the manner stated, the upper portion thereof extends above saddle 6' and fits into a grooved roller 9 mounted, in a suitable known manner, for rotation about a horizon- 80 tal axis extending transversely of saddle 6, this roller being confined against horizontal movement but movable verticallyin any appropriate manner. A grooved roller III, similar to roller 9, is mounted at the opposite side of the bend for ro- 85 tation about an axis parallel withthe axis of roller 9, roller I 0 being disposed in the same plane as roller 9, movable horizontally toward and away from the latter, in any suitable manner, and also movable vertically with roller 9. The groove in each of the rollers is of semi-circular cross section and conforms in size and shape to one-half of the exterior cross section of the desired end portion of the bend. when roller I0 is moved toward roller 9 into contact therewith, as in Figure 2, as will be explained more fully presently, the two rollers define between them a circular opening corresponding in diameter to the desired exterior diameter of the end of the bend.

Referring further to Figure 1, a cylindrical.

terior diameter andthe wall thickness of sleeve H corresponding to the desired exterior diameter and wall thickness of the end of the bend. Sleeve H is disposed coaxially with the circular opening defined by the rollers 9 and I0, when the latter is in the position shown in Figure 2. A cylindrical mandrel l2, rounded at its lower end portion 12a, fits snugly within-sleeve II for sliding movement therein, this mandrel being coaxial with sleeve H and also coaxial with the opening between the rollers, when roller I is in the position shown in Figure 2. Since the wall thickness of sleeve I I is equal to the desired wall thickness of the end portion of the bend, the diameter of the body portion of mandrel I2 is equal to the desired interior diameter of the end portion of the bend, which corresponds to the interior diameter of the body portion of the bend.

To facilitate placing of the bend a in the saddle 6, roller I0 is moved away from roller 9 into its position shown in Figure l, or into any other suitable position, and the stop 8 may be moved out of its position shown in Figure 1. The bend a is then inserted in the saddle "and stop 8 is secured in its position shown in Figure 1, the bend then being accurately positioned with its upper portion projecting above saddle 6 into the groove of roller 9 and, in part, into the groove of roller l0, when the latter roller is positioned as shown in Figure 1. The mandrel I2 is then moved downward so as to enter into the upper end of the bend, and the roller I0 is moved toward roller 9 so as to contact the wall of the upper end portion of the bend under suitable pressure, as shown in Figure 2. In performing this step of the operation, the mandrel l2 and roller It) may be moved simultaneously, or the mandrel may first be inserted into the bend and roller I D then moved into its position shown in Figure 2, such movement of the roller being indicated by the arrow. It will be seen that the rollers 9 and in contact the fitting a in the plane b-c, which is the plane of juncture between the curved body portion of the fitting or elbow a and the end portion thereof which is to be finished. This subjects the fitting, in the plane bc, to a squeezing action betweenthe rollers, which tends to displace metal from the thicker inner side wall of the fitting end,- Thereafter, the rollers 9 and ID, with the latter roller remaining in its innermost position, are moved upward, in a suitable manner, as indicated by the arrows in Figure into the position shown in the latter figure, mandrel I2 remaining in its position shown in Fig- -ure 2. Referring now to Figure 5, each roller has a gear l3 secured thereon, adjacent one end thereof, these gears meshing with the racks of a double rack bar l8, bolted'or otherwise suitably secured to base 'I and projecting upward therefrom. The gears 13 and rack bar l4 cooperate to rotate the rollers 9 and Ill simultaneousv ly and in opposite direction, as they are moved upward, as indicated by the arrows in Figures 3 and 5. In this manner, the end portion of the bend is subjected to a rolling action, as the rollers 9. and I0 move upward, which action is highly efiicient for accurately forming-the end portion of the bend about the body of'mandrel l2, and for displacing metal from the thicker portion of the wall of the bend and redistributing this metal in such manner as to assure uniform wall thickness of the end portion of the bend. In that manner the end portion of the bend is finished straight and tangent to the curved body portion thereof, is formed accurately to desired diameter said guide member, said rollers being" both interiorly and exteriorly, and finished to desired uniform wall thickness.

In the continued upward travel of the rollers 9 and lo, the rollers pass above the upper end of the bend into contact with guide sleeve ll, adjacent the lower end thereof, as in Figure 3, that being permitted by having sleeve ll of the same exterior diameter as the desired exterior diameter of the end portion of the bend. The rollers remain in their latter position while the mandrel I2 is moved upward as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, in any suitable manner. During the first portion of the upward movement of the mandrel, the bend a is raised from saddle 6 and moves upward with the mandrel, until the upper end of the bend contacts the lower end of sleeve H. Thereafter, the bond is held against upward movement and the mandrel i2, in its continued upward movement, is withdrawn from the bend, which is thus stripped from the mandrel and drops back into the saddle 6, as will be obvious. That completes the finishing of the end portion of the bend, the other end portion of which may be finished in the manner above described.

While I have described the apparatus of my invention as used for finishing the end portions of a 90 bend or elbow, by way of example, it is applicable to various other bends and analogous articles, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In means for finishing the end portions of pipe bends, a pair of rollers having relative movement-one toward and away from the other and adapted to receive and confine between them under forming pressure the end portion of a pipe bend when said rollers are spaced their minimum distance apart, means for supporting a pipe bend with its end portion disposed between said rollers, a tubular .guide member disposed to be in substantial alignment with the end of a bend supported between said rollers, and a straight mandrel mounted for movement through said guide member for projection therefrom into the end of a bend, said rollers being movable along said mandrel toward said guide member in rolling pressure contact with the end portion of' the bend effective for shaping said end portion to substantially'uniform diameter and wall thickness about said mandrel, the latter and said guide member having relative lengthwise movement efiective for bringing the shaped end of the bend into contact with the adjacent end of the guide member and thereafter stripping said bend from said mandrel. d

2. In means for. finishing the end portions of pipe bends, a pair of rollershaving relative move ment one toward and away from the'other and adapted to receive and confine between them under. forming pressure the .end portion of v apipe bend when said rollers are-spaced their f rhini: mum distance apart, means for supporting a pipe .bend with its end portion disposed between said 'rollers, a fixed tubular guide mernber disposed to be in substantial alignment th the end of a bend supported between said a straight mandrel mounted for ree p through said guide member for projecjtio from into the end of a bend and retrac along said 'mandrel -toward; Said guid in rolling pressure contact'withthe endp of the bend effective "for shaping said 'endjportion to substantially uniform diameter an Iyvall thickness about said 3. In means for finishing the end portions of pipe bends, a pair of rollers having relative movement one toward and away from the other and adapted to receive and confine between them under forming pressure the end portion of a pipe bend when said rollers are spaced their minimum distance apart, means for supporting a pipe bend with its end portion disposed between said rollers. a fixed tubular guide member disposed to be in substantial alignment with the end of a bend supported between said rollers, and a straight mandrel mounted for reciprocation through said guide member for projection therefrom into the end of a bend and retraction into said guide member, theaxes of said rollers being in a common plane perpendicular to said mandrel and said rollers being movable simultaneously along said mandrel toward said guide member'in rolling pressure contact with the end 'portion of the bend effective for shaping said end portion to substantially uniform diameter and wall thickness about said mandrel. I

4. In means for finishing/the end portions of pipe bends, a pair of rollers having relative movement one toward and away from the other and adapted to receive and confine between them under forming pressure the end portion of a pipe bend when said rollers are spaced their minimum distance apart, means for supporting a pipe bend with its end portion disposed between said rollers, a fixed tubular guide member disposed to be in substantial alignment with the end of a bend supported between said rollers, a straight mandrel mounted for reciprocation through said guide member for projection therefrom into the end of a bend and retraction into "said guide member, said rollers being movable along said mandrel toward said guide member in rolling pressure contact with the end portion of the bend effective for shaping said end portion to substantially uniform diameter and wall thickness about said mandrel, and means for rotating said rollers simultaneously at the same rate and in opposite directions corresponding to their movement along said mandrel toward said guide member.

5. In means for finishing the endportions of pipe bends, a pair of rollers adapted to receive and confine between them under forming pressure the end portion of a pipe bend, means for supporting a pipe bend with its end portion disposed between said rollers, and a straight mandrel disposed in substantial alignment with the end of a bend supported between said rollers and insertible by lengthwise movement into the end of' 6. In means for finishing the end portions of pipe bends, a pair of rollers adapted to receive and confine between them under forming pressure the end portion of a pipe bend, means for supporting a pipe bend with its end portion disposed between said rollers, and a straight mandrel disposed in substantial alignment with the end of a bend supported between said rollers, the latter and said mandrel having relative movement lengthwise of said mandrel effective for causing insertion thereof into the end of the bend disposed between said rollers, the latter being movable along said mandrel in rolling pressure contact with the end portion of the bend effective for forming said end portion to substantially uniform diameter and wall thickness about said mandrel.

7. In means for finishing theend portions of pipe bends, a pair of rollers adapted to receive and confine between them under forming pressure the end portion of a pipe bend, means for supporting a pipe bend with its end portion disposed between said rollers, and a straight mandrel confined against lateral movement and disposed in substantial alignment with the end of a bend supported between said rollers, the latter and said mandrel having relative movement lengthwise of said mandrel efiective for causing insertion-thereof into the end of the bend disformdiameter and wall thickness about said mandrel.

JAMES mu. TAYLOR... 

